Machine for sealing letters



March 22, 1932. R. e WHITLOCK MACHINE FOR SEALING LETTERS Filed May 17, 1926 Patented Mar. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATET OFFCE RALPH G. WHITLOCK, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO RALFH G. WHITLOCK PATENTS, IN 0., OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, A CORPORATION OF NEVADA MACHINE FOR SEALING LETTERS Application filed May 17,

This invention relates to machine for preparing matter for mailing and more particularly to mechanism for moistening and sealing mailpieces, hereinafter referred to as envelopes.

An object of my invention is to provide simple means for applying moisture to both sides of the envelope flaps whereby to condition them for maximum sealing relation with the envelope bodies.

Another object is to provide a moistener for action upon filled envelopes having their flaps uppermost whereby the natural tendency of the flap to spring or separate from the body may be advantaged and utilized and the usual mechanical flap lifter dispensed with.

And a still further object is to provide simple means for moving the moistened flap to, and holding it in contact for a sufficient sealing interval, with the body, and to bodily invert the envelope to face the flap underneath and to present the address side for printing prepaid postage indicia.

To the above purposes my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter fully, clearly and concisely described, definitely pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a mailing machine equipped with a flap moistener and a flap sealer constructed in accordance with my invention. 1

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, detail, sectional elevation of the moistener.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical elevation showing the moistener and the inverting and sealing means.

Referring by numerals to the drawings A designates a frame, or stand; F a hopper and envelope feeding means; D a printing press; 19 a motor; S a driving and control gear and P a receiver for the stamped and sealed envelopes, all of which are, or may be, of known construction and except in combination form no part of my invention.

1926. Serial No. 109,643.

Located beneath the discharge end of the hopper is a shaft 86, driven and controlled by the gear S which carries and rotates a wheel, or drum 87, forming a part of the recited feeding means, but which departs from known, or conventional construction, in that its peripheral face is composed, by preference, of a material, affording reliable traction for the envelopes, such as sponge rubber, as shown best at 111, in Fig. 4:.

Supported by the frame, above and adjacent the drum 87 is a flap moistening means T, which in the form shown comprises a water container 118, and a pair of perforated tubes 131 and 133, relatively spaced vertically, whereby the envelopes as carried by the drum 8'? will cause the flaps to be moved between the perforated tubes so that the tube 131 with its perforations in its, uppermost surface will apply moisture to the lowermost, or gummed surface of the flap and the tube 133 with its perforations in its lowermost surface will apply moisture to the uppermost or ungummed surface of the flap. By preference and as shown the upper tube is branched to extend about both sides of the lower tube and its perforations have greater capacity than the lowermost tube in order that the gummed surface of the flap receive only suflicient water, or moisture, as to prepare the gum for adhesion with the envelope body while the ungummed surface is relatively copiously moistened for the purpose of rendering it relatively free from warps and in pliable, or limp condition for subsequent maximum contact or adhesion relation with the envelope body.

For convenience the tubes 131 and 133 are placed in communication with the container 118 by means of a pipe 134 extended through and supported in a stopper 120.

In the present machine the moistener constitutes the only element in the path of the envelopes from the hopper to the sealing means. Its peculiar construction and position in relation with the envelope moving means and the advantage of the fiapsbeing spaced from the envelope bodies as the result of their full opening for the insertion of mailable matter, or content, makes possible the eliminationof flap lifters, openers, guides and the like, for relating the envelope bodies and flaps to a moistening means, and which heretofore have been sources of annoyance. Efficient andquantity feeding of the envelopesrequires that the filled envelopes be relatively closely related in a supply to the moving means, yet to maintain the spring condition of the flaps there is requirement for minimizing pressure in the supply, or stack, tending. to the disturbance of the described flap and body relation. In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a supply, or hopper, in which the filled envelopes are placed superimposed, or in stack: formation, having means such as the stepped, or undulated plate, or wall, 166 tending to hold the envelopes relatively bodily spaced in their descent through the hopper andoperating to present packing and the preservation of the recited spring condition of the flap. Alined with the drum 87 is a means for forwarding the moistened envelopes, whlch as shown, consists of a pair of rollers 167 and 168 related for movement as by the gear wheels 170 and 171 (shown only by dotted lines in Fig. 4) with the drum 87, and which carries or moves the moistened envelopes to the sealing means U. As shown the sealing means consists of a roller, or drum 94, tired, or surfaced, as at 112 similar to the described druni87 of the feeding means and driven as by a gear wheel 1.72 meshing with the recited gear wheel 170. For coaction with the drum there is pressure means for moving and holding the flap, with its gum *wetted for adhesion and bodily rendered pliable, into contact with the envelope body.

By preference, and as shown, the

ipressure means is a composite structure including a relativelyfixed element 17 5 whose function is to flatten, smooth, and remove 7 wrinkles or warps and air bubbles from the flap by a wiping or rubbing action and to initially lay the entire area of the flap against the envelope body. Following the element 175 is an element 130 whose function is to complete the sealing by pressure and rolling contact, and by preference such element is a continuous belt which I utilize in carrying the sealed envelope to the receiver .P or through the printing means.

In operatlon the envelopes, with their flaps sprung from the bodies, resultant from their full opening for the insertion ofthe mailable matter, or content, are placed in stack formation in the hopper of the feeding mechanism with the flaps uppermost and moved'to and through the moistener, or water applicator, where the single perforated tube 131applies water to the under surface of the flap in a quantity sufficient only to soften, or prepare the gum for adhesion, while the two branches of the perforated tube 133 apply a greater volume of water to the upper,

or ungummed, surface, suflicient to saturate the flap body to the extent of rendering it limp or pliable. The envelope, with its flap so wetted is then brought to a sealing means where it is bodily supported and the flap subjected to a rubbing or Wiping action in which the flap is straightened or smoothed, that is freed from warp and wrinkles, and layed, with pressure, with the entire wetted gummed area brought to intimate and full contact with the envelope body.

Following the flap laying step the envelope and flap. are subjected to a sealing operation'in which roller and pressure acti ons combine to assure adhesive relation of ing a rotating drum face and'a spring element contacting therewith; a sealing mechanism contamin g a rotating drum face and a movable belt contacting therewith; means to moisten the envelope flap on both sides; means to lay the flap bodily against the envelope body; and means for rolling and pressing the'fiap for its sealing to the envelope body in combination with means to reverse the sides of the envelope on itspassage through the machine. V

2. Inan envelope seallng machine of the class disclosed, a moistener, com-prising means to moisten an, envelope flap on both sides while maintaining said flap inclose relation to the envelope-body; a wiper, comprising means to position the flap to the envelope body whereby the entire moistened gummed area is brought to full contact with the envelope body; a sealing mechanism, comprising means to press the flap to the envelope body to assure adhesive relation of the flap to the envelope body in combination with meansto bodily invert the envelope on its passage through the machine.

3. In an envelope sealing machine of the if class disclosed, a tank, a support for said tank, and a multiple moistening element con nected to said tank andmounted on said support, positioned across the path of mail matter with such relation that the sprung flap of an envelope will pass between the multiple moistening element on its passage through the machine for the purpose of moistening both sidesof the flap means to lay the moistcned flap to sealing position together with means to seal the flap to the envelope body coincidental with reversing the sides of the envelope on its passage through the machine.

at. In a machine of the class disclosed, a moistener, including an element adapted to moisten an envelope flap on both sides; a Wiper and a sealer; means to reverse the sides of the envelope concurrent with its passage through that portion of the machine wherein reside the said wiper and sealer after the flap of the envelope has been moistened by the said moistener, and during contact with said wiper and sealer.

5. In a machine of the character disclosed, means to moisten an envelope flap on both sides simultaneously; means to seal the flap to the body of the envelope, including rollers of sponge rubber, a wiper for pressing the flap to the body, and a roller and belt providing sealing pressure simultaneously with inverting the envelope during its passage through the machine.

6. In a machine of the character disclosed, a moistener, including opposed moistening members, between which an envelope flap passes whereby one side of the flap is moistened to prepare the gummed surface for adhesion and the other side also moistened at the same time in a quantity sufi icient to create a relatively limp and pliable condition in the flap body; means to lay the moistened flap to the body of the envelope including sponge rubber faced rollers and drums, a Wiper and a belt applying pressure, simultaneously with the inverting of the envelope on its passage through the machine.

7. In a machine of the character disclosed, a moistener including a tank for liquid and a multiple moistening element attached thereto composed of opposed liquid carrying arms extending across the path of an envelope and between which the flap of an envelope may pass to receive moisture from the said moistening arms, said moisture being deposited on both sides of the flap; a wiper composed of a spring to lay the moistened flap to the envelope body, and sealing elements to apply pressure to complete sealing of the flap, in combination with means to bodily invert the envelope while being thus acted upon to be sealed, including sponge rubber rollers for frictionally moving the envelope on its passage through the machine.

8. In a machine of the character disclosed, a moistener projecting across the path of an envelope, composed of opposed moistening' elements so disposed as to moisten both sides of an envelope flap; a sealer comprising pressure means and envelope moving means so disposed as to co-ordinately operate to seal the flap to the envelope body after moistening, and invert the envelope during the sealing operation, in combination with sponge rubber faced elements comprising portions of the said moistening and sealing apparatus.

9. In a machine of the character disclosed,

a moistener, including opposed moistening members, between which an envelope flap passes whereby one side of the flap is moistened to prepare the gummed surface for adhesion and the other side also moistened at the same time in a quantity sufiicient to create a relatively limp and pliable condition in the flap body; means to lay the moistened flap to the body of the envelope, a wiper and a belt applying pressure, simultaneously with the inverting of the envelope on its passage through the machine.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th day of May, 1926.

RALPH Gr. WHITLOCK. 

